How Green is the new iPhone 4?

Today is the release day of the new Apple iPhone 4G, The excitement around it has reached all-new heights. It is sleeker, thinner, and more multi-functioning than its predecessors, but how green is the new iPhone? Let us count the ways:

1. Enhanced reader apps prevent wastage of paper newspapers, books and magazines.
2. Handset, headphones and USB cable are made from PVC-free materials.
3. Bromine-free PCBs, mercury-free LCD display.
4. Arsenic-free display glass.
5. Packaging made from post-consumer recycled fiberboard and bio-based materials.
6. Power adapter that outperforms strictest global energy efficiency standards.
7. A larger battery requiring less charge-time.

It gets a few points as a marginal improvement over the iPhone 3G, but Apple could definitely have wow-ed us with a mind-blowing eco-friendly feature. Steve, maybe the next one...



P.S. - If you're looking for an iPhone 4 cover, check out these cool bamboo cases that come with a clear conscience.






And here are my top 5 eco-friendly (free!) apps to try.

GoodGuide – A green and ethical shipping guide with a database of over 50,000 products It can scan product barcodes and tell you whether to buy something or leave it on the shelf.

Find Green – Tells you all the places near you that are eco-friendly. This is basically Yelp... gone green.

Skeptical Science – It lays out the most common arguments by enviro-skeptics and then offers you a both in-depth and succinct counterargument.

Carbon Tracker - A GPS-enabled carbon footprint app that allows you to calculate your carbon footprint from daily commuting, business trips or vacations. You can also create goals for maximum monthly emissions, and monitor your progress.

Pollution – If you’ve ever wondered how clean the air you breathe is, this app will pull real-time air pollution data for 1,380 cities worldwide.


OVERALL RATING (of the new iPhone 4) :